DTC P0615 Starter Relay Circuit

Thread Starter

stspringer

Joined Oct 1, 2019
81
Hello All,
I have a 2010 chevy equinox LS 2.4L

I was using a loadpro connected to my dvom, as a learning experience to study and figure out my starter relay base.,so I could crank my starter by jumping terminals 30 and 87. So first I removed the starter relay.

I connected the black ground lead to the car negative battery post. I then placed the red loadpro lead into the base termials one by one. I found 12v on one of the terminals, I assumed that was terminal 30. I found zero volts on terminal 85, I assumed this was the ground side of the coil. I found "ghost voltage" on terminal 86, I assumed this was the power side of the coil, with no voltage yet. I found zero volts on terminal 87.

I then used a jumper wire with a 30 amp in line fuse to jump what I thought was terminal 30 to terminal 87to crank over my starter

Well, I got smoke out of the fuse box that I saw when I used the jump wire

I now have a DTC P0615

I have a check engine light only with the key in the on position, but the car DOES start, and when it starts the check engine light goes out. I checked fuses I thought were involved, and they are good. Could I have blown does a fuse-able link? Should I pull the fuse box to try and find a blown fuse-able link or a bad wire I cooked?

Please advise.

Thanks
 

LowQCab

Joined Nov 6, 2012
4,028
You should have your Diagnostic Trouble Codes erased,
you can have this done for free at most Auto-Parts-Stores.
Then see if the Check-Engine-Light comes on again later.

If your Check-Engine-Light does not return,
you probably didn't do any permanent damage.

Stop making all these "assumptions" before you actually DO damage something.
You need to have the complete Wiring-Schematic for your car on-hand
before making any changes,
and you need to understand what every individual symbol means,
and why it works, and what effects it may have on other components.
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
A quick look online would yield the correct pin numbering for your relay. They are all the same for each type of relay.
As mentioned already have your codes erased. S
Certain inactive codes will keep your lights on to let you know something still needs looked at.
The ghost voltage may be a test from a controller to check wiring or a sign of a bigger problem developing. Neither will benefit from random assumptions. Chances are the relay is powered by a transistor in your body controller and won't be cheap to repair.
 

geekoftheweek

Joined Oct 6, 2013
1,201
Now that I am home I took a little time to poke around online. According to this https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/p0615-obd-ii-trouble-code-starter-relay-circuit-by-yourmechanic#:~:text=What the P0615 code means,not in park or neutral.&text=If it's in the “On,Engine light will turn on. the code was most likely set when you tried to jump the relay terminals. What it amounts to is whichever module actually runs the relay saw a voltage on the output side when there wasn't supposed to be any. Since the starter does in fact still work you should be able to clear the code and as long as it doesn't return no harm was done.

Edit:
After a bit more poking around this appears to be a general GM starting diagram. https://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/GM STarting system.pdf It shows the power to the coil side of the start relay coming from the Park / Neutral switch and the ground side of the relay coil is switched by the BCM to activate the relay. The smoke was most likely just something getting hot and melting from a poor connection (common when sticking jumpers in high current circuits). I didn't take the time to look for the actual Equinox schematics, but generally manufacturers stick to the same basic circuits for most of their models.
 
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